coherent and complete set of management tools for the whole
continuum of technological and sociocultural parameters:
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Parameter:
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indicative alternatives:
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task structuration
local and foreign output
technology output
budgeting
performance indicator
role conflict
reporting
meeting agendas
accessory data
non-essential aspects
language
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horizontal - vertical
parallel - intermittent
function - object
aggregated - specific
integrated - individual
passively tolerated - acknowledged
discretionary - public
separate, fixed - intermittent
extensive - little
group - individual
dictionary - vernacular, no metaphors
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A priori it is not possible to know how these parameters influence each other. The relations among project participants determine how and when they are linked and when they are independent. Without other indicators about project implementation, these parameters are often used to compare projects and infer what project design is appropriate. Based on ethnographic work, I use observable interactional patterns in implementation 'Latent Processes' to describe, compare, design and document implementation. These processes are latent because the individuals in a project can establish them. By virtue of the definition, these latent processes allow to group parameters and relate them to a few contextual features. However, this is impossible in a strong sense, the grouping is far from certain, more often than not the subsumptions are too partial.
So for illustration purposes only, I list below the latent processes that are often determinant for a project parameter and for the influence of the parameter alternative on implementation. For each parameter and latent process I suggest one contextual feature that could in some cases allow comparisons because this feature is a major precondition why the latent process appears and what project participants do with it (or in other words why the parameter affects that latent process). This is an illustration that might allow you to see whether your planning concern could benefit from the analysis of the latent processes.
Parameter
|
Latent Process
|
Context and Transferability
|
task structuration
horizontal - vertical |
Content |
exposing biases: relativ to Human Resource Management, sector, or
educational institution
stakeholder interest and capacity appear beyond core purpose
|
|
Interface |
changing competition: relativ to larger social context but
project autonomy becomes possible over time
stakeholder relations evolve with participants' mutual recognition
|
local and foreign output
parallel - intermittent |
Content |
relativ to economic sectors because experts' biases have less scope,
favours specific linkages and conflicts
|
|
Exchange |
local/foreign attributes: relativ to historical units, economic and trade patterns (Friedman), significance for strategies, relativ to aid sector / alliances |
technology output
function - object |
Content |
differences in sociocultural ends: relativ to educational institution,
STS structures are most often institutionally defined |
budgeting,
inventories
aggregated-specific |
Exchange |
weak influence by adding identity risks: extent relativ to social identities
among project participants |
|
Interface |
affected by categories but ambiguities are reduced: extent individuals
|
performance indicator
discretionary - public |
Content |
by indirectly strengthening attribution: extent modes of HRM
|
|
Interface |
can reduce ambiguities: extent individuals
|
role conflict
ignore - acknowledge |
Exchange |
endo-cases: extent social history
exo-cases weak influence: extent relative to historical unit |
|
Interface |
endo-cases weak influence: extent social history
exo-cases: forces project out of social history
|
official reporting, |
Content |
by strengthening attribution |
documentation |
Exchange |
endo-cases: individual leaves group |
integrated - individual |
Interface |
only weak influence: reduces rhetoric scale
|
meetings and agendas
separate - intermittent |
Exchange |
by changing subject / object relation in team:
procedures adapt to social identity |
|
Interface |
by allowing ambiguity only when roles, rhetoric
interact extent: project unit
|
accessory data,
calculations |
Exchange |
exo-cases: shifts alterity (otherness emotion) to other objects in social history; endo-cases: little influence on implementation |
extensive - little |
Content |
by revealing ends: extent relative to sector
|
non-essential aspects:
hours, transport, food |
Exchange |
exo-cases: social identity
endo-cases: individuals to pledge social identity |
group - individual |
Interface |
reduces / reinforce group identity: extent relative to HRM modes and sector
|
language |
Interface |
efforts to translate far more relevant than content,
specific knowledge corpora |
dictionary - vernacular |
Content |
by labelling tacitness |
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